Politics

Levine becomes first out transgender person to win Senate confirmation

Levine becomes first out transgender person to win Senate confirmation

  • POLITICS
  • by Chris Johnson, Washington Blade
  • Mar 24, 2021

Dr. Rachel Levine made history on Wednesday by becoming the first openly transgender person to obtain Senate confirmation as a presidential appointee.

Political Notebook: San Francisco supervisors seat gay asylee to city panel

Political Notebook: San Francisco supervisors seat gay asylee to city panel

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 24, 2021

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has seated a gay Malaysian-Chinese asylee to a city oversight committee.

Newsom nominates Bonta for CA AG

Newsom nominates Bonta for CA AG

Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday nominated Oakland Assemblyman Rob Bonta to fill the vacant state attorney general position.

Lawmakers push to renew CA End of Life law indefinitely

Lawmakers push to renew CA End of Life law indefinitely

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 22, 2021

California lawmakers are aiming to renew the state's "right to die" law indefinitely so that residents with incurable diseases have the option to take their own life rather than suffer unbearably painful deaths.

Political Notes: Los Angeles AIDS monument receives a sprucing up

Political Notes: Los Angeles AIDS monument receives a sprucing up

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 22, 2021

Seventeen years after it was first unveiled to the public, Los Angeles' AIDS monument is being spruced up.

CA Senate panel backs juvenile parole board appointee Riddle

CA Senate panel backs juvenile parole board appointee Riddle

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 17, 2021

After addressing her LGBTQ critics head-on during her confirmation hearing Wednesday, California juvenile parole board member Phlunté Riddle won the unanimous backing of the state Senate Rules Committee.

Fears over women's safety made wedge issue in Equality Act hearing

Fears over women's safety made wedge issue in Equality Act hearing

  • POLITICS
  • by Chris Johnson, Washington Blade
  • Mar 17, 2021

The Senate Judiciary Committee held the first-ever hearing in that body on the Equality Act Wednesday.

California juvenile parole board member Riddle faces LGBTQ opposition

California juvenile parole board member Riddle faces LGBTQ opposition

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 12, 2021

Phlunté Riddle, a member of California's juvenile parole board, is once again facing opposition from LGBTQ leaders who question the former Pasadena police officer's ability to adjudicate cases that come before her.

Political Notes: SF Democratic leaders accuse local journalist of 'blatant homophobia'

Political Notes: SF Democratic leaders accuse local journalist of 'blatant homophobia'

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 12, 2021

Susan Dyer Reynolds, editor emeritus of the Marina Times community newspaper in San Francisco, is facing a backlash for several tweets that attacked a gay critic of hers by inferring he supported pedophilia.

Political Notebook: San Francisco supervisors seat out immigrant rights panelists

Political Notebook: San Francisco supervisors seat out immigrant rights panelists

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 10, 2021

Three LGBTQ community leaders have won appointment to San Francisco's Immigrant Rights Commission, helping to double queer representation on the civic advisory body.

CA lawmakers seek audit of state's LGBTQ data collection efforts

CA lawmakers seek audit of state's LGBTQ data collection efforts

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 9, 2021

A number of California lawmakers Tuesday officially asked for an audit to be conducted of the state's efforts to collect LGBTQ demographic health data.

Supervisors oppose 4th straight nominee to SF preservation body

Supervisors oppose 4th straight nominee to SF preservation body

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 5, 2021

San Francisco Mayor London Breed's decision to name a fourth straight nominee to a historic preservation advisory body is facing criticism from the trio of supervisors responsible for vetting mayoral appointments to city commissions.

Wiener, Pan introduce more expansive STD bill

Wiener, Pan introduce more expansive STD bill

A bill to strengthen the sexually transmitted disease public health infrastructure of California is better than a similar effort that had initially been introduced last year, a principal co-author of the legislation told the Bay Area Reporter.

Political Notebook: SF supervisors seat trio of straight preservation body members

Political Notebook: SF supervisors seat trio of straight preservation body members

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 2, 2021

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has seated three straight members on the Historic Preservation Commission, leaving it for the time being without anyone from the LGBTQ community.